Cleveland Browns cornerbacks Denzel Ward and Kevin Johnson have been activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list, the team announced Wednesday.
Ward and Johnson sat out Cleveland’s 24-22 win over Pittsburgh in the season finale on Jan. 3 as well as the 48-37 victory over the Steelers in the AFC wild-card round last Sunday.
Their expected returns in the AFC divisional-round game will be a welcome one, considering the upstart Browns are visiting Patrick Mahomes and the top-seeded Kansas City Chiefs.
Ward, 23, recorded an NFL-best 16 passes defensed to go along with 46 tackles, two interceptions and one forced fumble in 12 games this season. He has 143 tackles, seven interceptions and two forced fumbles in 37 career games (36 starts) since being selected by Cleveland with the fourth overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft.
Ward was selected to the Pro Bowl during his rookie season.
Johnson, 28, has collected 35 tackles, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery in 13 games (six starts) this season for the Browns. He has 199 tackles, two fumble recoveries and one interception in 64 career games (25 starts) with the Houston Texans, Buffalo Bills and Browns.
